Meter box and the like



Jan. 9, 1945. 4l5; G, JOHANSSON 2,367,27

` METER Box AND THE LiKE v Filed Deo. 22, 1942 Maz-zzp P7655 6. @@5070 Mm4# Patented Jan. 9, 1945 #V'UNITJED STATES PATIENT. OFFICE METER BOXAND .THE yLIKE' i lErnest; G.-,Johansson, Belmont, Mass., lassigfnor toAnchor Manufacturing Company, Boston,

Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 22, 1942,Serial No. 469,817

I (o1. 22o-55) S-Claims.

I Thisv invention relates to locks for boxes and enclosures of variouskinds having closures'which are hinged or otherwise movably mounted overopenings in the boxes, particularly to meter boxes such as disclosed inmy copendingapplication 'Serial No. 425,771, filed January 6, 1942.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a lock which is simple andeconomical to construct, which is durableand reliable in use,'wh.ichcannot be tamperedwithV and which .cannot become disassociated with thebox or' closure acci* dentally.

According to the present invention the lock comprises a latch and afastener, the latch having an opening and the fastener extendingnotonlythrough the opening in the' latch but also vthrough an opening inthe closure of the box into interengagement with a part of the box. Inone aspect of the invention the latch is pivoted or otherwise movablymounted' on the closure and the latch opening extends to one edge of thelatch to permit lateral ,movement of the latch away fromthe fastenerwhen the fastener is loosened without detaching the fastener from. the

` the latch opening and the latch has a portion extending into theclosure openingbetween the fastener and edge of the closure opening sothat the latch is interlocked directly with the closure against lateralmovement transversely of the axes of the openings. The latch ispreferably in the form of a strap pvotally mounted on the closure of thebox to swing edgewise alongthe face of the closure, the pin holding thestrap against substantial movement away yfrom the face of the closure.The aforesaid portion fof the latch which extends into the closureopening is preferably formed by upsettingthe edge of the opening inthe'latch throughout a substantial portion of the'circumference of theopening to form an' annular Dortion extending into the larger opening ofrthe closure around the fastener, the offset edge also providing acountersunk seat lfor the head of the fastener, in which casethecountersunk'seat may constitute ythe aforesaid obstructing meansengageable with the head of the fastener.

In the prefenred form ofthe invention the strap is bent to form a loopintermediate the pivot pin and the fastener opening and the cover plateis .mounted on the strap Vby means of a. slot near one 4end to receivethe strap, the part of the plate between the slot and the end of theplate forming a p ivot in the aforesaid loop to permit the plate toswing away from the strap, thereby to uncover the fastener so ,that thec-losure may be unlocked. The free ends of the strap and platepreferably have intereng-aging parts for sealing the cover plate againstthe strap.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment [ofthe invention isshown in the accom-- panying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a frontelevation of a meter box constructed according to the present'invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the lock with the ycover plate swungupwardly to uncover the lock;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View;

Fig'. 4 is a'view similar to Fig. 2 showing th latch swung to retractedposition; and

' Fig.'5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose ofillustration comprises ya meter box identical with that disclosed in theaforesaid copending application. This box comprisefsfside walls I, abottom wall 2, atop 3, a y

front wall 4, and a front closure 5 having an opening 6 for thecylindrical glass cover of a meter to project through. As disclosed inthe aforesaid application the closure 5 has a portion extending upbehind the front wall Il to hold the upper part'of the closure inposition and the lower part of the closure is held rclosed by the lo'ckhereinafter described. As shown inFig. 5 the bottom 2 of the box has anupturned lflange 6 at its forward edge which extends almost to the sidewall I, leaving just enough space for the side flanges 'I of the closure5. At the bottom the closure is provided with a flange 8 fitting overthe bottom of the box. y

The aforesaid 10c-k comprises a strap I I pivoted to the closure bymeans of the pin I2 which permits the latch to swing laterally along thebase lof the closure between the locking position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3and `5 and the retracted position shown in Fig. 4. vNear its lower endthe strap Il is provided-With an opening I3 which, when, the latch is inlocking position, registers with a larger opening .I4 in the closure 5.A fastener I5 in the form of a machine screw extends through the twoopenings and threads into an opening in the upstanding flange Bof lthebox. The edge of the opening I3 `is offset into the space between thefastener I5 and the edge 'of the opening I4 in the closure. This notonly provides a countersunk l seat for the head of the screw, but alsoprovides l,integral means in the form of an annular ange lit-ting 'intothe closure 'opening I4 to interlock the latch directly with the closurewhen the latch is drawn against the closure by the screw. As shown inFigs. 2. and 4 the opening I3 preferably extends to one edge of thestrap so that the strap may be disengaged from the fastener withoutcompletely removing the fastener.

Between the pivot I2 and the fastener I5 the latch strap II is providedWith a loop 25 for the purpose of pivotally supporting a cover plate I6.Near its upper end the cover plate is provided with a transverse slot toreceive the latch strap I I and the portion of the cover plate betweenits upper end and the aforesaid slot ts into the loop 25 to form thepivotal support which permits the cover plate to swing from the closedposition shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5 to the open position shown in Figs. 2and 4. The cover plate lmay be provided with an indented portion I'I toaccommodate'the head of the fastener I5.

For the purpose of sealing the cover plate in closed position the lowerends of the latch and cover are provided with interengaging parts. Asshown in the drawing the parts comprise a projection I8 on the latchextending through a slot I9 in the cover plate, the projection I8 beingprovided with an opening to receive the seal 20.

To unlock the box the seal is rst broken, the cover plate I5 is thenswung from the closed position shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, to the openposition shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the fastener I5 is then loosenedsuiciently to swing the latch II from the locked position shown in Figs.1, 2, 3 and 5 to the unlocked position shown in Fig. 4, and the closuremay then be removed. To lock the box the operations are reversed. Afterthe parts are locked, it is very difficult to tamper with the box. Ifthe margin of pthe opening I3 in the latch did not interlock with theopening .I4 in the cover in the closure 5, lateral blows on the lockedlatch would bend the fastener I5 from side to side` soon breaking itoff. However with the interlocking arrangement above described, thelatch is held rigidly against lateral movement relatively to the coverso long as the marginal portion of the opening I3 is held in the closureopening I4.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of,

the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A box comprising a closure having an opening therein, and means forholding the closure in closed position including a latch and a fastener,

the latch having an opening and the fastener extending through bothopenings into interengagement with the box, the closure opening beinglarger than the latch opening and the latch having a portion extendinginto the closure opening between the fastener and the edge of thelclosure opening, whereby the latch is intel-locked directly with theclosure against lateral movement transversely of the axes of saidopenings.

2. A box comprising a closure having an open-y of the closure opening,whereby the latch is interlocked directly with the closure againstlateral movement' transversely of the axes of said openings.

3. A box comprising a closure having an opening therein, and means forholding'the closure position including a latch and a fastener, the latchhaving an opening and the fastener extending through 'both openings intointerengagement with the box, the closure opening being larger than thelatch opening and the latch having an annular portion extending into theclosure opening between the fastener and the edge of the closure openingthroughout a substantial portion of the latch opening, whereby the latchis interlockeddirectly with the closure against lateral movementtransversely of the axes of said openings.

4. A box comprising a closure having an opening therein, and means forholding the closure in closed position including a strap and a fastener,the strap having an opening and the fastener extending through bothopenings into interengagement with the box, the closure opening beinglarger than the strap opening and the edge of the strap opening beingoffset into the closure opening between the fastener and the edge of theclosure opening throughout a substantial portion of the strap opening,the offset edge interlocking the strap with the closure and providing acountersunk seat for the head of said fastener.

5. A box comprising a closure having an opening therein, means forholding the closure in closedfposition including a latch and a fastener,means for movably mounting the latch on the closure, the latch having anopening and the fastener extending through both openings intointerengagement with 'the box, the closure opening 'being larger thanthe latch opening and the latch having an annular portion extending intothe closure opening between the fastener and the edge of the closureopening throughout a substantial portion of the circumference of thelatch opening, and a cover movably mounted on the latch to move oversaid fastener when the latch i hand fastener are in position to hold theclosure in closed position.

6. A box comprising a closure having an opening therein, means forholding the closure in closed position including a latch and a fastener,means for movably mounting the latch on the closure, the latch having anopening and the fastener extending through both openings intointere-ngagement With the box, the closure opening being larger than thelatch opening and the latch having an annular portion extending into theclosure opening between the fastener and the edge of the closure openingthroughout a substantial portion of the circumference of the latchopening, a cover movably mounted on the latch to move over said fastenerwhen the latch and fastener are in position to hold the closure inclosed position, andmeans for sealing the cover to the latch over thefastener.

7. A box comprising a closure having an opening therein, means forholding the `closure in closed position including a strap and afastener, a pin for pivoting the strap to the closure to swing edgewisealong the face of the closure, the strap havingv an opening and thefastener extending through both openings into interengagement with thebox, the closure opening being larger than thestrap opening and theedgeof the strap opening being offset into the closure opening between thefastener and the edge of the closure opening throughout a substantialportion of the circumference Aof the strap opening, the offset edgeinterlocking the strap With the closure and providing a countersunk seatfor the -head of said fastener, the strap being bent to form a loopintermediate said pin and opening and a. cover plate for covering said'fastener head, the cover plate having a slot near one end to receivesaid strap, the part of the plate between the 'slot and end forming apivot in said loop to permit the plate to swing away from the strap, thefreev ends of the strap and plate having interengaging parts for sealingthe cover plate 4against the strap.

8. A box `comprising a closure having an openand the fastener extendingthrough-both openings into interengagementcwith the box, said headseating on the latch when in closed position,

the latch opening extending to one edge of the ing therein and means forholding the yclosure latch to permit lateral swinging of the latch awayfrom the fastener when the fastener is loosened Without detaching thefastener from the box, and means fast to the latch engaging the side ofthe head of the fastener for preventing said lateral swinging when thefastener is in said locking position. f f

9. A box `comprising a closure having an opening therein and ymeans forholding the closure in closed position including a latch and a fastener,the latch having an opening and the fastener extending through bothopenings into interengagement with the box, the fastener clamping thelatch against the closure when in locked position, the latchopeningextending to one edge of the latchtc permit lateral movement of thelatch away from the fastener when the fastener is loosened withoutdetaching the fastener from the box, and, means integral With the latchand projecting from thesi-de face thereof into the opening of theclosure, r-for obstructing said lateral movement when the fastener is insaid locking position.

` ERNEST G. JOHANSON.

